Music-leaf turner



(No Model.)

J. E. NIGHTINGALE.

MUSIC LEAF TURNER.

Patent ed Spt. 17, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSIAH E. NIGIITINGAL 1, OF DANVERS, MASSACHUSETTS.

MUSIC-LEAF TURNER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Iatent No. 411,052, datedSeptember 17, 1889.

Application filed March 25, 1889- Berial No. 304,630. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, JOSIAH E.N1GHTINGALE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Danvers, in the county of Essex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Music-LeafTurners, of which the following, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in music-leaf turners, and it iscarried out as fol lows, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein- Figure 1 representsa front perspective view of thedevice. Fig. 2 represents a rear perspective view of the spring-pressedclam pingjaws for holding the back edge of the sheetmusic in place. Fig.3 represents a partial section on the line .2 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4represents an enlarged cross-section of the holding and releasing devicefor successively releasing the sheets whenever required, and Fig. 5represents a modification of said holding and releasing device.

Similar letters refer to similar parts wherever they occur on thedifferent: parts of the drawings.

a represents the foot or base adapted to be supported on the lower ledgeor shelf of a music-stand or other convenient music-support, which footor base is preferably made of metal and covered 011 its under side withcloth, felt, or other soft material, as may be desired. To saidbase-part a is hinged, by means of a detachable pin 0, the clamp-barb,onthe under side of which is secured in a suitable manner the rod or wireZ)", to which are pivoted the clamping-jaws c 0, between which the backedge of the sheet-music is confined while in use. The said clamping-jawsare automatieally forced toward each other by the influence of thespring 0, having its ends pressing against the back of the respectiveclamping-jaws c c, as shown in Fig. 2.

c c are cars or projections on the clamping-jaws c c,for the purpose ofexpanding said jaws against the influence of the spring 0 while placingthe sheet-music between or removing it from said clamping-jaws.

To the lower portion of the clamp-bar Z) is secured in a detachablemanner, preferably by means of a thumb-nut or screw (1, the cross-bar E,having about midway upon it bent upward and adapted toreceive the loweredge of one of the leaves of the sheet-music. \Vhen released, theleaf-turners are automatically swung toward" the left by the influenceof the coiled springs f, secured in one of their ends to the left-handportion of the bar E and in their other ends to the respective hubs ff,or suitable projections thereon, and when so released the wire arms Fare guided into and made to rest in a slitted or forked bracket E,forming a part of or secured to the bar E, as shown in Fig. 1.

The right-hand end of the bar E is provided with a locking and releasingdevice for the spring-actuated leaf-turner, which is constructed asfollows: It consists of a forked bracket E, having a slit E adapted toreceive the wire arms F of the leaf-turners, as

shown. In the bracket or bearing E is pivoted at c the finger-lever G,having an up wardly-projecting arm terminating in its upper end as arearwardly-prejecting lip g, against which the uppermost of thespringpressed wires F is held before being released, as shown in Fig.at. In addition to the lip or stop projection g, the lever G has a rearportion g, terminating in its upper end as a forwardly-projecting wedgeor incline g, as shown in Figs. at and 5, which, when the lever Gdepressed, is caused to pass by the slit Ff, and thus preventing morethan one of the leaf-turners from being released at a time. The lever Gis automatically held in the locked position shown in Figs. 4: and 5 bythe influence of the spring 71-.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5 the part g g is made separate fromthe lever G and pivoted to it at 9', its lower end being actuated by thespring h and forced against a side projection g on the lever G, theoperation of this device being, however, substantially like the solidlever shownin Fig. 4.

In using the invention the plate a is supported on the ledge of a1nusic-rack,or any other suitable obj eet, with the bar 7) resting saidslitted brackets E, and the music-sheets afterward attached to the wireloops or holders F, this being optional with the player. If it isdesired to turn over a leaf, all the player has to do is to push withone of his fingers on the lever G, as shown in Fig. 1, causing saidlever to be tripped sufficiently to allow the lip g to pass by the slitE when the uppermost of the wire arms F is liberated and caused to swinghalf a revolution toward the left by the influence of its spring f, andin so doing turning over the sheet attached to By reason of the Wedge orinclined projection g passing by the slit E the next leaf-turner in theseries is prevented from escaping until the lever G is released andagain depressed, and so on until all the desired sheets are turned over.

When not in use, the device can be taken apart and packed in a verysmall and convenient shape, simply by removing the pin 1) and the nut orscrew (1, thus allowing the plate a and bars E and b to be laid parallelwith each other, as may be desired.

Having thus fully described the nature, construction, and operation ofmy invention, I 'wish to secure by Letters Patent, and claim-.-

The leaf-turner as described, consisting of a plate a and bar b, hingedto it, and the bar E, detachably secured to said bar b, said bar Ehaving pivoted to it a series of springpressed leaf-turners F F, and thesaid bar I) having hinged to it the spring-pressed clamping-jaws c c, asdescribed, and a locking and releasing device for the leaf-turners,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimonywhereof I have signed my name to this specificatiomin thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 16th day of March, A. D.1889.

JOSIAH E. NIGHTINGALE.

Witnesses:

ALBAN ANDREN, NATHAN W. TRIPP.

